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Friday, 31 October 2014

Winter can be cold in Germany... Plus we are planning a holiday in Stockholm/Sweden this winter. None of my existing beanies are really warm and I freeze easily, so I had to come up with a warmer solution. The result is this double layered beanie which is not only warm but can also be worn both ways. That is, I can choose the colour of my beanie every time I wear it. Clever, ey?

I am very happy with my beanie and thus I decided to pass my happiness on in the form of a pattern.

Pattern: Double Layered BeanieYarn: Chunky (2 colours, 100 grams each)Hook: 6 mmFits: Adult WomanNotes: - This beanie is worked in rows and not in spirals!- The ch2 at the beginning of each row do not count as a st. They are a bit of a filler really as they prevent that ugly hole at the end of each row. Rd 1:Start with a magic circle. In the magic circle: Ch2, 10dc. Pull the magic circle tight (Note: Weave in the yarn end before you change colour). Join the round with a sl in the top of the first dc (not the ch2!). (10)Rd 2: Ch2, 2dc in the first st. 2dc in each of the remaining 9 st. Join the round with a sl in the top of the first dc. (20)Rd 3: Ch2, *2dc, 1dc* repeat this pattern 10 times til the end of the row. Join the round with a sl in the top of the first dc. (30)Rd 4: Ch2, *2dc, 1dc in each of next 2st* repeat this pattern 10 times til the end of the row. Join the round with a sl in the top of the first dc. (40)

Rd 5: Ch2, *2dc, 1dc in each of next 3st* repeat this pattern 10 times til the end of the row. Join the round with a sl in the top of the first dc. (50)Note: Test if the beanie has the desired width. If it is too narrow, add one or more extra increase rows.Rd 6-13: Ch2, 1dc in each st. (50)

Note: Test if the beanie has the desired length. If it is too short, add an extra rd of 1dc in each st.Rd 14: ch1, 1 sc in each st. (50)

I only wrote out the woman adult version. However as this pattern is really easy/basic, it is easy to modify:Modification 1: Make it larger. Start with 12 dc instead of 10dc.Modification 2: Make it smaller. Start with 8 dc instead of 10dc.Modification 3: Use different yarn weights. I tried this pattern with 2 strains of aran (Red Heart Super Saver) and a 6mm hook. It is a snug fit (thus a tad bit smaller than with chunky yarn).Modification 4: Make it more colourful! Simply change colours throughout the pattern.Modification 5: Make it more fancy! Add appliqués like stars, flowers, pompoms etc. Note: You won't be able to turn the beanie anymore unless you make these appliqués removable.

If you make a beanie with this pattern, I would love to see it! Post it on our facebook page?!

You
have permission to sell the finished product made from this pattern
provided credit for the pattern is clearly displayed as Anne Schueler (http://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.de). If you sell the item online please provide a link to this blog (http://crochetbetweentwoworlds.blogspot.de) for the pattern.

Take care

Anne

P.S. There will be a German version of this pattern on the blog soon!

P.S.2 Weather is dark and rainy here in Dortmund today. I will take better pictures soonish! :-)

Head over there and Like the page for notifications of new posts, plus teasers and tidbits that occur to us between posts, plus shares of beautiful and inspiring work from other crochet pages :)

Magnificent Mug Markers!At our new house on Lake Macquarie, all the mugs will be the same... We drink a lot of tea, and I figure there is going to be endless confusion if everyone has identical mugs! So, using some of my lovely Red Heart Miami cotton and a little bit of internet exploration, I made a set of mug markers :)

Cosmos Fields ShawlLast, but definitely not least, I completed my Cosmos Fields Shawl. I proof read this amazing pattern for Zelna of Zooty Owl's Crafty Blog a few months ago, but hadn't gotten around to actually making it!

I used some of my precious Stylecraft Special DK, and it was just a dream to work with. My Ravelry Projects Page has all the details on colours and yardage :) The colours remind me of photos of the lavender fields of Provence in France - purples, blues of the sky... It is so warm and cosy too, and very large! It measures 218cm (85") across and 108cm (42") long. This is for a birthday present - I hope the intended recipient likes it, and it keeps her nice and warm in her chilly office :)

That's all for Triple Ta-Dah Tuesday!

What projects have you finished lately? Put links in the comments for us to visit!!

Friday, 24 October 2014

First: Welcome to our new followers on Bloglovin and Google+! Good to see you here!

I wish I could tell you about a finished project but I can't. However, I can tell you about lots of WIPs... One can never have too many WIPs, can't one? Earlier this week I hoped to finish one of the WIPs but well, here we are: Friday and my cowl is still a WIP. I have been incredible tired and thus couldn't put in as much crochet time as I hoped for. Sighs.

As you can see, I am about 78 % done. I use Drops Cotton Merino instead of the Alpaca yarn. Why? I adore the cotton merino yarn. It certainly is my favorite yarn. :-) Do you have a favorite yarn too?

I am also working on Christmas presents. I can't show you pictures yet as some of the recipients might read this post. I can tell you however that it involves something to eat and glass jars. Any ideas what it might be?

Some days ago a whole bunch of old city maps were to be tossed out at my work. After all there are very few people who still use paper maps and those maps weren't exactly young either. So I saved them from tossing and took them home. Boy, they will keep me busy for some time. One map of Paderborn and Wuppertal each I used up to make paper lucky stars. In order to to this, I cut the maps into 20cm long stripes. I like how they look - now I only need to figure out what to do with them. Any ideas from you by any chance? I am happy about any kind of advice.

My other WIP is crochet related again. Do you know this wonderful Sunday Shawl from Alia/Little Bee yet?

It is a fantastic pattern and I can't wait to make a shawl for myself!
At the moment however I am translating the pattern into German for
Alia. Apparently a lot of people ask for a German version and I am very happy to help her out. Fortunatly Andrea from Kokopelli Design will proofread the German version. I am very happy that Alia trusts me with her wonderful pattern! Once finished you will be able to purchase the German version in her shop. :-)

What are you up to these days? I hope you have lots of yarn to keep you happy!

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

I used the practice and tutorial Solid Spiral Granny Squares to make up a Saggy Daggy Crochet Baggy for a friend to use as a project bag :P What do you think?

Instructions for how to make this bag for yourself are below, or you can visit the Ravelry page for this pattern to save it to your queue or add to favourites! :)

Instructions for how to make your very own Saggy Daggy Crochet Baggy:1. Make 5 Solid Spiral Granny Squares with two full rounds of each colour (so {step 4, step 5} x 3. You can use other square patterns, just make sure you end up with 30 stitches on each side. 2. Join Colour E (edging colour) in any dc and sc around each square. In the corners, do two sc in the last stitch of a row, and 3sc over the dc at the start of the next row.

4. Using Colour E and sc, join 4 of the squares into a line, then join the first square to the last one to make a circle (or box). 5. Using Colour E and sc, join the 5th square to the edges of your circle. Don't forget to do 3 sc in each corner to keep it square! Now you have a cube with no top :)

6. Join Colour E in one corner of the top of the bag and sc all the way around, using slip stitch to join. Don't cut off Colour E.7. On the next round with Colour E, ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), then sc in the next 10 stitches. For the handles, you can either use 20 chain stitches, or 20 foundation sc stitches. Skip 12 stitches on the previous round, then sc 10 to the corner. Repeat for all four sides, then cut off Colour E.8. Do one round each of sc in Colour A, then B, then C, then D, then E to finish. If you did chain stitch for the handles, do the first round (with Colour A) into the stitches to make it nice and strong :) In the picture below, I've used foundation sc to make a more defined handle hole.

9. Weave in all your ends securely.Ta-dah! Your very own Saggy Daggy Crochet Baggy :) If you have any problems with these instructions (which were written up very quickly, and not tested), let me know in the comments!

Monday, 20 October 2014

In my hunt for something to do with my beyoooootiful Stylecraft Special DK yarns, I have scoured the internet for ideas, patterns, inspiration - something that will show off this yarn to its fullest.

I love rainbows, and in my travels around the web the same picture kept coming up for rainbow granny spirals: The Granny Spiral by Patty Crochète. This was it, the one. It was calling me.

One small problem - the pattern is written in French (although with an excellent photo tutorial) and I could not find a proper English translation anywhere! Google Translate helped a bit, as did some excellent Googlefu (and proper reading) from the ladies in the Creative Crochet Crew group on Facebook. I really believed there was a market for this pattern in the English speaking world, especially as I had seen it in so many places, on so many Pinterest boards and inspiration boards.

The incredible designer of this square, Patricia Damême, can be found on her blog here, her Facebook page here, and on Pinterest here, and I absolutely recommending checking her out in all of those places as her work is just amazing.

With her permission, the English translation of the Solid Granny Spiral Square :D, which is also available on Ravelry for easy queueing or favouriting for later!

* All stitches are worked in the top of each stitch of the previous row, not between the stitches, unless otherwise specified. You could do an interesting variation with using back loops only, or both loops for a smooth finish.

* I don't recommend using the Magic Circle to start this square, as it makes the square rows twist a bit.

* As you stop working with each yarn, pull up a nice big loop or use stitch markers so you don't accidentally undo all your lovely work

* To stop your yarns getting tangled, at the end of each sequence of four colours turn your work ANTI CLOCKWISE to get back to the first colour. If you keep turning the same direction, you'll get an awful mess.

* If you get lost in the Steps 4 and 5 repeats, just remember that in each colour, the (dc, tr) (tr, 2dc) and (2dc, tr) (tr, dc) sequences alternate - just check what you did last corner! The current corner should also be the opposite to the one directly underneath.

STEP 1

With Colour A, ch 5, sl st into 1st ch to form a ring. Ch 3, 2dc into ring. The 3 chain of each colour is the loop you'll need in Step 3.

STEP 2

With Colour B, **join to ring. Ch3, 2dc into ring.** Repeat ** to ** for Colours C and D.

STEP 3

With Colour A, **(dc, 2tr, dc) into 3ch loop of next colour.** Repeat ** to ** for Colours B, C and D.

STEP 4

With Colour A, **dc into each dc of the previous row. In 1st tr of previous row, (dc, tr). In 2nd tr of previous row, (tr, 2dc).** Repeat ** to ** for Colours B, C and D.

STEP 5

With Colour A, **dc into each dc of the previous row. In 1st tr of previous row, (2dc, tr). In 2nd tr of previous row, (tr, dc).** Repeat ** to ** for Colours B, C and D.

STEP 6

Repeats Steps 4 and 5 until you get to one row short of your desired size.

STEP 7

To Finish: With Colour A, **dc in each dc, dc in 1st treble, dc in 2nd treble. Cut your yarn, leaving a tail for darning in, and pull through the loop on your hook. Weave in end.** Repeat ** to ** for Colours B, C and D.

And that's it! Ta-dah!Update: I used the practice and tutorial squares to make up a Saggy Daggy Crochet Baggy - check out the photos here.

Friday, 17 October 2014

As you know, the boyfriend and I had an awesome vacation in Canada about two months ago (pictures can be found here, here and here). Two days before we left we wandered along W 4th Ave and found Banyen Bookshop. There was a lot of esoteric stuff I am not fond of but they also had a few nice books on creativity and such. I got myself a book and as you can see I started to read it the same night at the beach. The book is called "Living Artfully" and was written by Sandra Magsamen. It's a good read and the author has some very lovely ideas.

Next to being a good and inspiring read, the book got me thinking about creativity in general as well as my journey to become more creative.

The word creativity or Kreativtät goes back to the Latin verb "creare". "Creare" translates into "to make something" or "to invent something". In some contents it also means "to choose". All of these translations relate to my understanding of creativity quite well.

Some day ago I talked to Michelle about creativity and she assumed she wasn't very creative because she mostly follows patterns instead of making up her own patterns. I disagree with her sentiments. According to my understanding of creativity, Michelle is very creative indeed because she makes new creations with her hands. That is, she creates something and even if she does indeed follow a pattern, the process of creation is a still an act of creativity.

Until recently I never considered myself a very creative person. Even worse: I told myself I wasn't creative at all! I liked to make things but hardly dared to actually tackle new skills (telling me I will be bad at it anyway) or didn't like the results (they weren't perfect!). As you know I really got into crochet when I lived in Australia 2008/2009. When I returned to Germany, I still made a lot of Granny Squares but that was it.

About two years that changed. I wish I could pinpoint one special event but I really can't remember. I wanted to make something different to Granny Squares and I think I started with an amigurumi teddy bear. I tried to follow the pattern and the result looked close to a teddy. It still sits on the bookshelf even though I have made some far prettier stuff since then. This teddy reminds me that I can tackle new skills even if the (first) result isn't perfect. You might think, that it is pretty normal that first tries don't work out perfectly but for me accepting this has been a HUGE step.

Since then my creativity tries to go into overload... Of course Facebook and Pinterest don't help with that. There is so much to try and so much to do! I find myself wandering out of my comfort zone these days: Even though crochet is still my first (and strongest) craft love, I like to work with paper these days. The last couple of days I spent making Lucky Stars and I really enjoy the calm I reach when I fold them.

Altogether I have found peace in doing crafts. It helps me to focus and to relax. And since I noticed that about myself, I made sure to embrace creativity. Of course I am not perfect, of course I don't manage everything and of course I don't have the time to try everything. But that's okay. I am happy.

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Wow, what a birthday week! Thank you to everyone who read, participated, entered the giveaway, commented and followed our little blog :) We have a great time writing it for you!

Today I'm just doing a quick update on my current works in progress (WIPs) as it has been a crazy week around here. Not only was it blog birthday week, but...

Over the long weekend we went up and stayed at the new house at Lake Macquarie for the first time. It was amazing and awesome, and I can't wait for it to be properly finished so I can unpack the kitchen properly ;) My sister has done an amazing job with the design of the house, particularly the interior features like this tiled wall:

Plus the view from the balcony is pretty good ;)

Then, Kiah ended up in hospital last Tuesday having his appendix out! It was caught early which is good, but still required nearly 3 days in hospital, and lots of running around and helping from me. He is still very sore, but the three little holes in his belly seem to be healing up nicely.

As a result, I am pretty much completely exhausted, which has really slowed down the crochet production (and everything else, but that's less important). Fortunately my parents are back from their conference now, so they are helping with shopping and driving, and the wonderful Beccy, our housemate is helping with housekeeping. Couldn't do it without you all!

On the good news front, I received my Stylecraft Special DK Packs from Deramores. How will I ever use any other acrylic 8ply again!? This yarn is incredible, and the price I can get from Deramores is about $2.80/100g - just about cheaper than any low quality yarn I can get here. I have started using one colour pack already (see Project 2 below), but I am still musing and plotting over how to make something amazing with the other one.

Because my brain has been all over the place, my WIPs have been all over the place too. Usually I don't like having more than one or two WIPs as it gets me all fuddled, but these are special times.

Project 1 (a, b, c, d,... so many animals)

Animal orders - so far I have pieces for two candy hippos, one blue and yellow stegosaurus and one black and red dragon! The dragon pieces in particular are very dramatic - I think he's going to be one amazing beastie when put together :) Since I enjoy joining more than I enjoy making the little African Flowers, I am collecting up little baggie sets to relax and join later!

Project 2

Cosmos Fields Shawl, pattern by Zooty Owl. I am loving this yarn, and these colours! Reminds me of lavender fields in Provence :) It is for our housemate Beccy to keep at work for when she gets chilly about the shoulders. The pink workbasket (for details go here) is just the perfect size for this project!

Project 3

I was inspired by Atty's Woven Crochet Block to create this prototype heat pad for the new house, to protect the tables from hot saucepans and trays. Maybe next week I'll write up how I did it, so you can have a try too! Or maybe the week after.

Blog people

Hi there! We are Michelle and Anne and we share this blog! We have been friends for ages even though we live in different sides of the world (Australia and Germany). We share a common passion which is crochet (hence the blog name) but we blog about Australia, Germany, food and other stuff we like too.